(11-11-2014 05:43 AM)Can_of_Beans Wrote: This is a reference to Ben's altercation with Sam Harris and Bill Maher
over their criticism of Islam. I realize that it's an example of a tu quoque
fallacy, but I wouldn't let a little thing like that stop me.

Dogma: Absolves god of all guilt for the atrocious shit that's apparently gone down, explicitly excuses the ethnocentric bullshit in the bible and has a plot that is all about an all mighty, all loving being ending her/his children s suffering by healing their emotional trauma and absolving them of guilt and rewarding people on their merit.

There's some implicit criticism of organised religion and the catholic church in particular sure sure but the movie is, quite literally, all about ratifying and justifying belief. I'm not sure where you're coming from.

Soulless mutants of muscle and intent. There are billions of us; hardy, smart and dangerous. Shaped by millions of years of death. We are the definitive alpha predator. We build monsters of fire and stone. We bottled the sun. We nailed our god to a stick.

I am not accountable to any God. I am accountable to myself - and not because I think I am God as some theists would try to assert - but because, no matter what actions I take, thoughts I think, or words I utter, I have to be able to live with myself.

(11-11-2014 05:43 AM)Can_of_Beans Wrote: This is a reference to Ben's altercation with Sam Harris and Bill Maher
over their criticism of Islam. I realize that it's an example of a tu quoque
fallacy, but I wouldn't let a little thing like that stop me.

Dogma: Absolves god of all guilt for the atrocious shit that's apparently gone down, explicitly excuses the ethnocentric bullshit in the bible and has a plot that is all about an all mighty, all loving being ending her/his children s suffering by healing their emotional trauma and absolving them of guilt and rewarding people on their merit.

There's some implicit criticism of organised religion and the catholic church in particular sure sure but the movie is, quite literally, all about ratifying and justifying belief. I'm not sure where you're coming from.

Maybe I'll have to watch it again. It's been awhile, and I was still a Baptist at the time. I just remember thinking it made the Catholic Church look ridiculous.

Of course, to a Baptist, or anyone who isn't a Catholic for that matter, the Catholic Church makes itself look ridiculous.

But then there is this...

Quote:The year 1999 saw the release of Kevin Smith's controversial film Dogma. Despite the fact that Smith is a practicing Catholic, as Kevin Smith confirmed in an interview on the film's DVD, several religious groups, especially the Catholic League, said the film was anti-Catholic and blasphemous, and organized protests, including one that took place at the November 12 premiere of the film at Lincoln Center in New York City.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Le....S.)#Dogma

...and...

Quote:According to a publicly available script, the Disney/Miramax produced movie, Dogma, mocks everything we hold sacred—God, the Church, the Mass and Mary’s virginity. It condones what we condemn—murder, obscenity, violence, profanity, drugs, drunkenness and rebellion!

I'm a recovering Catholic and love Dogma. I even have a dashboard Buddy Christ. Since at times I drive my mother somewhere (she's Catholic, just sick of a lot of their shit), I asked her if it offended her. I showed her the Cardinal scene in the movie.

Her response? It's not blasphemous and maybe the church should use it for real.